Abraham Lincoln and the Self-Made Myth

A detailed Summary of Abraham Lincoln and the Self-Made Myth

An ambitious ascent from a poor Illinois farm boy to occupying the highest political office during one of Americas most turbulent times makes for the literature of hero worship. In the essay entitled Abraham Lincoln the self-made myth Rich Hofstadter challenges the reader to penetrate beneath the surface of the American political tradions and investigate the event and actions that contributed to the Lincoln Myth.

To begin with Hofstadter states that one of Lincoln's most endearing qualisties to Americans was his humble origins and the fact that, "Lincoln was a preeminent example of that self-help which Americans have always so admired," (121). But he further goes on to state that Lincoln used this to his advantage. First in his campaign speeches always eluding to himself as humble Abraham Lincoln and in the way he addressed his own wife in public as "mother" (122). He received distinguished guests in shirtsleeves, and once during his presidency hailed a soldier out of the ranks with the cry, "Bub! Bub!" The concept of the self-made, simple man played well with the American public thus became "fully absorbed into his political being," (124).

Historical novels and fictionalized biographies about Lincoln would be amiss of th

The war between the states rayed on, "When Lincoln at last determined, in July 1862, to move toward emancipation, it was only after all his other policies had failed," (168). It was not what Lincoln had set out to do, but the only option he had left. "it was the Proclamation, however that had psychological value, and before the amendment was passed, Lincoln had already become the personal symbol of freedom," (171).

By now the slavery issue had grown. Lincoln had to consider that abolitionists, who wanted slavery gone, the Negrophobes who feared and detested Negroes living among them, and the southerners where slave labor was away of life. Lincoln needed to, "strike a responsive chord in the nervous system or racist." Up until this point slavery had always been a moral question. "Lincoln took the slavery question out of the realm of moral and legal dispute and by dramatizing it in terms of free labor's self-interest gave it a universal appeal," (147).

By the time Lincoln took office succession from the union not slavery was the burning issue. Seven states from the Deep South had seceded. Lincoln needed to prepare the Northern's for war. He felt the Union must be preserved at any cost. "One of Lincoln's most striking achievements was his tactical and ideol

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Approximate Word count = 862
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History

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